| 摘要 |
A method of sterilizing a hollow endoscope having a conduit is disclosed. An end of the endoscope conduit is connected to a sealed vessel such that the endoscope conduit is in fluid communication with the sealed vessel. The endoscope is placed in a sterilisation chamber and the chamber sealed. The sterilisation chamber is r un through sterilisation cycles in which the pressure within the chamber is varied. During the pressure variation within the sterilising chamber, sterilising gas is drawn from the sterilising chamber via the endoscope conduit into the vessel. During the pressure variation the inner surface of the endoscope is subjected to sterilising conditions in addition to the outer surface of the endoscope. In a preferred embodiment th e sterilising conditions are provided for by ozone gas in the presence of a humid atmosphe re of at least 95 % water saturation. The sterilization process is operatively simple and reduces the chance of human errors caused by false interpretation and handling. The ozone sterilization method of the invention requires substantially no aeration or cooling down of sterilized instruments so that they can be used immediately following the sterilization cycle. The present invention permits hospitals to reduce the costs associate d with maintaining an expensive endoscope inventory.
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